Pumpkin & Pomegranate

I love pizza. It’s one of the foods I could eat every day and not get tired of, but finding a way to make it grain (and dairy) free has been a bit of a challenge for me.  I have tried a few methods, and so far I haven’t found my “perfect” pie just yet. The one I made for dinner last night is still worth a recipe though as it did hit the spot.

The good stuff: The crust is stable. you can hold it in your hand without problem. It tastes pretty darn good too! It’s packed with protein and nutrients.

The not so good: The crust is dense, a little difficult to work with because it is so sticky, and never really “crisps up”. The crust is sort of similar to shortbread, so just be ready for that.

I am not sure it is possible to have a “crispy” crust when it comes to a grain and dairy free pizza. This will not stop me from testing out new recipes, but I just warn you…don’t get your hopes up. Thank goodness it DOES taste good. It did actually satisfy the craving too. I am looking forward to testing out more recipes actually ;-)

I did a combo of sauces, Vegan Pesto and Tomato…

Vegan Pesto

Ingredients:

• 2 Large Bunches Fresh Basil
• 1/4-1/2 C. Raw Pine Nuts
• 1Garlic Clove
• 1/4 C. Vegan Parmesan

Method:

1. Wash the basil leaves and put into the bowl of a food processor.
2. Add the vegan parmesan, the garlic, and 1/4 C. of the Pine nuts. Pulse.
3. Add more pine nuts if necessary to get to the consistency you want.

*you may also add olive oil but I find it unnecessary with the pine nuts.

Quick Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:

• 4 Ripe Tomatoes
• 1 Small Onion
• 1 Garlic Clove
• 1.5 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1.2 tsp. Sea Salt

Method:

1. Chop the onion and garlic and sautee in a sauce pan until translucent.
2. Puree tomatoes in blender and add to the onion and galic mixture. Season with the herbs and salt.
3. Simmer over medium heat until it thickens enough to spread over pizza crust.

Pizza Crust
Ingredients:

• 1 C. Almond flour
• 1/4 C. Coconut Flour
• 2 T Flax Meal
• 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
• 3 Pastured or Backyard Eggs
• 1.5 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Method:

1. Sift together the dry ingredients.
2. Mix together the oil and eggs and combine with the dry ingredients. If it is too dry add a little more oil.
3. Knead dough with your hands until it is formed into a ball.
4. Put dough onto a piece of parchment paper that has been lightly oiled. Lightly oil a second piece and place on top of the ball.
5. Roll out dough until it is an even 1/8th to 1/4 inch in thickness.
6. Peel off the top layer of parchment, and either place dough directly onto lightly oiled cookie sheet, or place parchment on cookie sheet.
7. Put cookie sheet into oven and heat to 350 F. Once oven is “preheated” (about 4 minutes), remove pizza dough from oven.
8. Cover crust with sauces and toppings and place back into the oven and bake for another 10-12 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.
   Sprinkle vegan Parm on top and serve!